42ND ASEAN SUMMIT 2023 | Asean leaders vow to boost economic recovery, uphold centrality | Inertia prevails at ASEAN summit

Asean leaders hold hands during the 42nd Asean Summit in Indonesia.

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Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and wife Iriana, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife Louise Marcos, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong and wife Ho Ching (from left to right) sit on the deck of a pinisi boat during a sunset view event on the sidelines of the 42nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara on May 10, 2023.(AFP/Mast Irham)

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ASEAN’s top leaders promised on Wednesday that they would “redouble” efforts to strengthen the association’s “institutional effectiveness”, as the continuing Myanmar coup crisis casts a pall over the biannual summit.

But Southeast Asia experts were doubtful that the bloc would have any significant success if it continued to fail to offer a clear outline of the practical steps it would take.

The situation in Myanmar, which has wreaked havoc on ASEAN’s credibility as a defiant junta highlights the bloc’s disunity and the divergent interests of its member countries, has increased the pressure on the group to enact reforms. Observers contend that only institutional change could allow ASEAN to establish itself as a central player in the highly contested Indo-Pacific region.

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Asean leaders vow to boost economic recovery, uphold centrality

 

Southeast Asian leaders, including Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, reaffirmed their commitment to bolster economic recovery and address issues facing the region when they met at the 42nd Asean Summit in Indonesia.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the summit on Wednesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo called for Asean unity and economic integration and said the grouping should play a central role in regional peace and development.

“At the moment, the global economy has not fully recovered. Major power rivalries continue to sharpen. The global dynamic becomes more unpredictable,” Widodo said. With unity, Asean will be able to be a central player in bringing peace and development to the region, he said.

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Asean leaders hold hands during the 42nd Asean Summit in Indonesia.

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During the summit, leaders of the bloc appreciated the progress in implementing the Asean Community Vision 2025 and discussed ways to strengthen Asean community building. They also pushed forward the drafting of a vision for the Asean community post 2025.

The Asean leaders further agreed to strengthen collaboration with external partners to boost economic growth and development in the region, according to the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Held under the theme “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”, the summit, being held during May 9-11, features plenary sessions and dialogues between leaders of Asean countries and representatives of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, and the High-Level Task Force on the Asean Community’s Post-2025 Vision.

During the summit, Premier Sonexay held talks with several leaders on ways to consolidate bilateral ties between Laos and the respective countries.

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Indonesia on the sidelines of the 42nd Asean Summit.

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During bilateral talks between the Lao Premier and Indonesian President Widodo, both sides agreed to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, tourism and infrastructure development for boosting connectivity.

The two leaders have similar views on promoting cooperation between the private sectors of Laos and Indonesia, including stronger collaboration in the energy sector.
Both sides agreed to support one another in the regional and international arena,

especially in the framework of Asean, ASEM and UN. Indonesia pledged its support for Laos’s Asean chair in 2024.

In addition, the Lao Premier met his Timor-Leste counterpart, Taur Matan Ruak, and both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment and tourism.

The two PMs exchanged views on various matters, including the exchange of land plots to build the embassies of the respective countries.

Laos has supported Timor-Leste in joining Asean and stands ready to exchange lessons when it comes to Asean cooperation.

The Lao PM also held talks with the leaders of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

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By Times Reporters
(Latest Update May 11, 2023).

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